Overshoe with shank filler piece therein



Dec. 26, 1950 2,535,123

K. c. DEM ICK OVERSHOE WITH SHANK FILLER PIECE THEREIN Filed Nov. 25,1946 llllllllllllllllllllll 1n M7012 .Zfzzneffi [2552 222]: 3 F m w. aw

Patented Dec. 26, 1950 QVERSHOE VJITH SHANK FILLER PIECE TEEREIN KennethC. Demick, Cambridge, Mass, assignor to The F3. l Goodrich Company, NewYork, N. $1., a corporation of New York Application November 23, 1945,Serial No. 712,033

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an overshoe, and particularly to an overshoehaving a wedge-heeled appearance.

Among the objects of this invention are to provide an article offootwear which can be worn over shoes; to provide an article which hasthe appearance of a wedge-heeled construction, but which at the sametime is adapted to accommodate the heel of a shoe placed therein; tofurnish an article which provides a frictional surface oversubstantially the entire lower face thereof; to provide an overshoewhich furnishes a substantial Walking base even when worn overhighheeled shoes; and to provide an article which fits well about theshoe. Further objects of this invention are to construct such an articleof footwear in a minimum number of operations with an economical use ofmaterials; to construct the article so as to maintain a neat andpleasing appearance at all times; and generally to construct an articlewhich achieves the necessary requisites of practicality without thesacrifice of esthetic considerations.

An article of footwear which is to be worn over shoes must of necessityhave either an entirely flat sole or a raised shank portion toaccommodate the shank and heel of the wearers shoe. In overshoes whereappearance is not a primary requisite, the insole and outsole membersare nearly flat. This has the advantage of furnishing a large walkingsurface, which provides stability and maximum frictional contact for useon ice and similar slippery surfaces. Such a flat-soled overshoe,however, does not fitclosely about a shoe having a heel of anysubstantial height and wrinkles badly in use.

On the other hand, the conventional overshoe having a raised shankportion fits closely about the shoe over which it is worn and presents aneat and pleasing appearance, but furnishes only a small walking surfacewith a resultant decrease in stability and frictional contact. This isespecially the case with womens overshoes, which are adapted for use inconjunction with shoes having tall heels,

By means of this invention. an article of footwear is constructed, in aminimum number of simple operations, in which the insole fits closelyabout the shoe and has a recessed heel portion, and in which the outsoleis substantially fiat in order to provide maximum stability, present alarge frictional Walking surface, and provide a neat and pleasingappearance at all times.

The-invention is best understood by reference to a preferred embodimentas illustrated by the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the constructionaldetails of an overshoe embodying the invention, a section being brokenaway for clarity of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the filler member which is positionedbetween the arched insole and the substantially fiat outsole of theovershoe;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the unitary outer covering for thefiller and heel portions of the article;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the wedge-heeled overshoe with the shankfiller member concealed by the unitary covering;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of an alternative embodiment;and

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view along line 6-5 of Fig. 4.

In the preferred method of constructing an overshoe embodying thisinvention a conventional insole IE3 is shaped on a last to provide afiat forward portion H and an upwardly inclined shank portion l2terminating rearwardly in a depressed heel portion It. The insole may beof any suitable material such as leather, plied fabric, or similarmaterial.

An upper portion M of conventional design is prepared of rubber, fabricor other suitable material. This upper I4 comprises the usual vamp l5and quarter I 6 portions forming an ankleencircling assembly. The upperportion 14 is then lasted over the insole H] by cementing, stitching orother suitable means.

In accordance with this invention, a filler member ll is provided. Thismember is generally wedge-shaped so as to occupy the space below theinclined shank portion l2 of the insole ID and extend rearwardly to theforward edge l8 of the heel portion. The filler member I! has agenerally planar lower face l9 adapted to form a continuous surface withthe lower face 20 of the flat forward portion 6 l of the insole Ii). Themember preferably comprises a molded rubber article, although rubbersponge, cork, wood or other materials shaped by suitable means may beused. The upper face 2! of the filler member is shaped to conform to thearched shank portion l2 of the insole IQ and terminates in a generallyVertical rear face 22.

The filler member l! is positioned under the shank portion l2 of theinsole and is preferably attached thereto by means of cement or similarmeans. A toe cap 25 is cemented over the toe portion of the vamp [5 togive the article a finished appearance. A generally flat outsole 23 isprovided comprising rubber or a similar suitable material. This outsole23 is lasted to the lower faceZfl of the insole III in accordance withordinary construction methods to give a laminated construction in theregion of the shank portions of the insole and outsole. The fillermember I! is preferably also attached to the outsole by cementing orother means. In the preferred embodiment, a unitary outer covering 24,as shown in Fig. 3, is provided for the filler member I! and heelportion [3 and is attached thereon to give a Wedge-heeled appearance tothe overshoe. The covering 24 may be made of rubber, fabric, or othersuitable material, and, if desired, may be of contrasting color to therest of the upper and also may cover only the lateral faces of fillermember 11, being secured to the upper along its margin 26 as shown inFig. 5.

The overshoe constructed as a preferred embodiment is neat and pleasingin appearance; does not wrinkle in the shank portion durin use; can beworn over shoes having heels; and maintains a close-fitting positionwhile providing a large walking surface for increased stability andmaximum frictional contact. The overshoe is practical without departingfrom the conventional standards of appearance. The method ofconstruction is simple and economical. The invention may, of course, beembodied in any article of footwear having an inclined shank portion anda recessedheel portion. The materials employed in the article may bevaried as desired.

The invention has been described in considerable detail with referenceto a preferred method of construction, but variations and modificationsthereof may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A unitary overshoe comprising a generally fiat outsole extendin fromthe toe end to the heel end of the overshoe, a generally wedge-shapedshank filler member having a forwardly sloping upper face and agenerally vertical rear face and having its bottom face secured to theupper face of said outsole in the shank portion thereof, an inner solesecured throughout the major central portion of its extent to the upperface of the assembled outsole and shank filler member and to thevertical rear face of said member, and a footenclosing upper having itslower margin inturned under and secured along the extent thereof to themargin of said inner sole throughout its extent.

2. A unitary overshoe comprising a generally fiat outsole extending fromthe toe end to the heel end of the overshoe, a shank filler memberhaving a forwardly sloping upper face and a generally vertical rear faceand having its bottom face secured to the upper face of said outsole inthe shank region thereof, an inner sole secured throughout the majorcentral portion of its extent to the upper face of the assembled outsoleand shank filler member and to the vertical rear face of said member, afoot-enclosing upper having its lower margin inturned under and securedalong the extent thereof to the margin of said inner sole throughout itsextent, and a generally triangular heel cover secured to said upper withits lower margin inturned and secured to the upper face of said outsoleand extending from a region along and slightly forwardly of the forwardedge of said filler member at each side of said overshoe rearwardlyaround the heel thereof whereby the lateral faces of the shank fillermember are covered by said heel cover.

KENNETH C. DEMICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,535,123December 26, 1950 KENNETH C. DEMICK It is hereby certified that errorappears in the printed specification of the above numbered patentrequiring correctlon as follows:

' Column 4, list of references cited, under the heading UNITED STATESPATENTS add the following- 579,577 Hanscom Mer. 30, 1897 that the saidLetters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same mayconform to the record of the case in thePatent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of March, A. D. 1951.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Oommz'ssz'oner of Patents.

